Strong-grade Plural Stem
 
 
    
 

1   Introduction

The strong-grade plural stem is used to form the plural of cases that require a strong-grade stem. These cases include the genitive, partitive, essive, illative, and comitative. A good knowledge of consonant gradation and vowel change i ~ e is of great use.

2   Formation

The easiest way of forming the strong-grade plural stem is to form it from the general plural stem, if a word ends in a vowel, and form if from the essive stem, if a word ends in a consonant.

2.1   Words that end in a vowel

If a word ends in a vowel, the strong-grade plural stem is similar to the general plural stem, except for that it always takes the strong grade such as the nominative form. In the inflection examples below, the inessive and essive endings have been separated from the stem by a hyphen.

Nominative

Inessive pl

Essive pl

Translation

kova

kovi-ssa

kovi-na

hard

luuta

luudi-ssa

luuti-na

broom

ripa

rivoi-ssa

ripoi-na

handle

leuka

leuoi-ssa

leukoi-na

chin

jalka

jaloi-ssa

jalkoi-na

foot

mansikka

mansikoi-ssa

mansikkoi-na

strawberry

väärä

vääri-ssä

vääri-nä

wrong

kahvi

kahvei-ssa

kahvei-na

coffee

ki

i-ssä

ki-nä

hill

vesi

vesi-ssä

vesi-nä

water

kyky

kyvyi-ssä

kykyi-nä

ability

nalle

nallei-ssa

nallei-na

teddy bear

aatto

aatoi-ssa

aattoi-na

eve

maa

mai-ssa

mai-na

country

ehtoo

ehtoi-ssa

ehtoi-na

evening

suo

soi-ssa

soi-na

marsh

neliö

neliöi-ssä

neliöi-nä

square

2.2   Words that end in a consonant

If a word ends in a consonant or a relic consonant, the strong-grade plural stem is formed from the essive stem. In the inflection examples below, the essive endings have been separated from the stem by a hyphen.

a) Essive stem ends in -te

If the essive stem ends in -te, in front of which there is a vowel, the strong-grade plural stem is formed by replacing the te by ksi. This group includes only words whose nominative stem ends in -s.

Nominative

Essive sg

Essive pl

Translation

osuus

osuute-na

osuuksi-na

share, part

kauneus

kauneute-na

kauneuksi-na

beauty

rakkaus

rakkaute-na

rakkauksi-na

love

teollisuus

teollisuute-na

teollisuuksi-na

industry

hyvyys

hyvyyte-nä

hyvyyksi-nä

goodness

b) Essive stem ends in -nte

If the essive stem ends in -nte, the strong-grade plural stem is formed by replacing the nte by nsi. This group includes only words whose nominative stem ends in -s or -t.

Nominative

Essive sg

Essive pl

Translation

kolmas

kolmante-na

kolmansi-na

the third

neljäs

neljänte-nä

neljänsi-nä

the fourth

tuhannes

tuhannente-na

tuhannensi-na

the thousandth

mones

monente-na

monensi-na

tuhat

tuhante-na

tuhansi-na

thousand

c) Other words

The strong-grade plural stem of other words is formed by replacing the last letter of the essive stem by the plural marker i. Thus, the strong-grade plural stem is similar to the general plural stem.

Nominative

Essive sg

Essive pl

Translation

vene

venee-nä

venei-nä

boat

laite

laittee-na

laittei-na

device

koe

kokee-na

kokei-na

test

avain

avaime-na

avaimi-na

key

sydän

sydäme-nä

sydämi-nä

heart

tytär

tyttäre-nä

tyttäri-nä

daughter

sisar

sisare-na

sisari-na

sister

karvas

karvaa-na

karvai-na

bitter

paras

parhaa-na

parhai-na

the best

kiuas

kiukaa-na

kiukai-na

sauna heater

varis

varikse-na

variksi-na

crow

ohut

ohue-na

ohui-na

thin

neitsyt

neitsye-nä

neitsyi-nä

virgin

d) New loan words

The strong-grade plural stem of new loan words that end in a consonant is formed by replacing the last i of the essive stem by e and adding the plural marker i after it.

Nominative

Essive sg

Essive pl

Translation

stadion

stadioni-na

stadionei-na

stadium

radar

radari-na

radarei-na

radar

3   Usage

The strong-grade plural stem is used to form the plural of the genitive, partitive, essive, illative, and comitative. The following example shows, how case endings are attached to the strong-grade plural stem. Note that the plural marker i changes to j between vowels.

Case

Word

Translation

Nominative

jalka

foot

Genitive pl

jalkojen

of the feet

Partitive pl

jalkoja

(some) feet

Essive pl

jalkoina

as the feet

Illative pl

jalkoihin

into the feet

Comitative pl

jalkoineni

with my feet